Mark 6:31 “come away ......and rest awhile”
Burnout is something that all of us face in one form or another in life. Burnout can look like: 1) overwhelming tiredness over what needs to be done or what is looming ahead, 2) frustration at the constant needs, demands, and expectations of others, 3) lack of vision of what the future holds, 4) depression, agitation, anger, stress, and anxiousness, 5) physical illness and lack of care for yourself, and 6) judgement and offense towards those you feel are demanding of your time, energy and efforts.
There are always things to do. There is always more that could be done. More that should be done. The question comes up, Are these things we’ve laid on ourselves from the heart of God or our own devised plans or demands of others? Wayne Cordeiro, author of Leading on Empty, says that “people’s needs are great and their expectations are endless. You can’t base your life on the expectations of others”. He said, “It is good to wean ourselves off the need to be needed.”
In Mark 6 it says “come away...and rest awhile”. I like that because we need to actually get away from some things to truly rest. Remember, God doesn’t give us a vision for our lives that will end in burnout, hurt or destroy relationships, or cause stress or illness. Our visions and lifestyle are to be birthed out of our relationship with the Father, therefore they are sustained by that same relationship. Even in our thoughts, it’s good to “come away...and rest awhile”. His grace is always available to keep us refreshed, renewed, and refilled!
So, how about you? Whether it’s for a minute, a day, a week, or a month…when the activity of this world starts to crowd your mind and your life…stop…come away…breathe...rest awhile…then head back refreshed.
